There are many techniques for controlling the remote descrambling of, for example, scrambled television signals. Such techniques are necessary to maintain security in subscription television systems, including Cable Television (CATV) systems and satellite television systems. Typically a system subscriber is provided with a descrambler connected between a television signal source (e.g., a cable feed or a satellite receiver) and a television set. Each subscriber's descrambler is controlled by the system operator to enable or disable the receipt of specific services such as Home Box Office.TM., Showtime.TM., or special Pay-Per-View.TM. events. In this regard, see for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,111,504 (J. Esserman et al.), issued on May 5, 1992, 5,144,663 (A. Kudelski et al.), issued on Sep. 1, 1992, and 5,237,610 (K. Gammie et al.), issued on Aug. 17, 1993.
A Smart Card typically has a programmable circuit that contains a proprietary algorithm for decrypting or descrambling purposes that is stored in a memory section as, for example, Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) chips or the like forming a confidential or secret portion of the Smart Card memory. It is typically about the size and shape of a credit card and provides security or piracy protection of provided services. The Smart Card is a renewable security device that has recently been used for CATV converter boxes in order to prevent a stealing of services. It is meant to be removed only when the CATV company providing the services decides to update the proprietary decrypting algorithm, which usually occurs after the decrypting algorithm is broken by an unauthorized user. Additionally, the inadvertent removal of the Smart Card renders the CATV Converter non-functional. It is known to add a port in the top or in one side of a device into which a Smart Card or other type of credit card shaped information card is plugged.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,834 (J. Wiedemer), issued on Mar. 13, 1990, discloses a technique for inserting a removable memory module that is inserted into a slot associated with a decoder in the top surface of a television receiver. The removable memory module includes a fixed, receiver-unique, external code which is combined with an internal code of the proper receiver to generate the appropriate system code in the receiving station.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,512 (T. Ieki et al.), issued on Apr. 20, 1993, discloses a system for controlling communications between electronic information cards, such as IC-cards, and a host computer that are to be kept secret. To protect data, the data from a transmitter is enciphered prior to being sent, and deciphered prior to being read out at the host computer end. To provide such protection, a device is provided having at least a first connector for a first IC-card storing an algorithm for enciphering the data, and a second IC-card or cards for making communication with the host computer. The first IC-card is readily changeable with a new first IC-card that stores another algorithm when the original algorithm is compromised by an unauthorized person.
A problem when a Smart Card is mounted in the port in the side or top of a device such as a CATV converter box is that the Smart card is easily accessible to children and others, and to an inadvertent removal or bumping which can cause the device to become non-functional. It is expected that the amount and diversity of services provided by cable or communication companies will increase in the future and to include, for example, the transmission of computer data and a greater quantity of television programming. To accommodate the existing and new services, a converter box will require many more ports than presently exist. This will reduce the space available for including a separate port for a Smart Card and, in turn, the protection of the various provided services from being securely transmitted to a subscriber.
It is desirable to provide a Smart Card connector in a CATV Converter box, or other device requiring security, which reduces the inadvertent removal of the Smart Card and use of valuable space in the device which is needed for circuitry and components for processing information.